Sentimental
by BookendVandal
Summary: Sebastian's Smythe was never sentimental, until he had something worthy of sentimentality. Canon up until Glease. Features Blaine and Sebastian the most, but may or may not be Seblaine.
1. Sentimental

Sebastian Smythe was no sentimentalist. He held on to few keepsakes, preferring to allow the past to slip away gracefully, rather than clinging desperately to what once was, or what might have been. He saw no need to decorate his room with pictures of happy times, particularly now that there was facebook to carry the eternal volumes of his life. No, he was a hedonist of sorts, living in the moment and never looking back. There was no point.

Then why was he here, feeling nostalgic as he watched a boy who was never even his on stage? There was no rational explanation for his venture to McKinley High's production of Grease. He did not even like the Musical. He had nearly abandoned his plan to attend twice on his drive from Westerville from Lima, ultimately convincing himself to follow through only because it was too late to make other plans on a Friday night. He practically hid his face beneath his leather trench coat, not daring to wear that trademark Dalton Blazer. Tonight, for once, he wanted to be inconspicuous, and he just about walked out of the theater when he spotted Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry two rows ahead of him. Of course, he had heard about the shocking break-up of the deformed entity known as "Klaine," and though he hated himself for it, he could not help but feel glad. Not that he wanted Blaine anymore, of course, as having a crush on that boy for over a year would be unbecoming of a man such as Sebastian Smythe, but he liked to think he was simply reveling in the misery of the helium-voiced twink. Perhaps he should lace the boy with a well-rehearsed quip at intermission.

Watching Blaine, dressed in white on stage, however, Sebastian found his hostile feelings toward Hummel subsiding, as something in his stomach turned. He unconsciously smiled as he watched the boy on stage. For once, and likely for the only time, he found himself envious of the ski-sloped nose Sugar Motta. For a moment, Blaine almost broke character, something seeming to catch him off-guard. Sebastian allowed himself, for an equally short moment, to believe that he was the cause of that temporary misstep, though he quickly realized the true root cause sitting in front of him. Biting down on his tongue, the warm feeling inside of him dissipated, replaced by old feelings of inadequacy. Sebastian Smythe was no longer enjoying himself.

As the cast took their curtain call, led by a boy who was not nearly the Danny Zuko that Sebastian could have been, Sebastian clicked his heel and exited his seat, once again wishing only not to bump into an old unfamiliar faces. Unfortunately, he was not fortunate to realize such a wish.

"Sebastian?" a voice called to him, one he did not instinctively recall. Turning around, his eyes widened with surprise at the sight of Santana Lopez. The jig was up. He was done for now. There was no way that the girl would allow him to get away with attending a McKinley play without eviscerating him with one of her infamous tirades, before blabbing to the New Directions that he was spying on them or some other equally ridiculous theory. "I wasn't expecting to see you of all people here."

"To be honest Lopez, I was pretty shocked to see you on stage. Can't quite let that high school spotlight go, can you?" he retorted, his defenses up as he prepared for whatever retort the girl had in store for him.

"I got a call, and I came through for an old friend. What's your excuse?" Santana inquired, raising a smug eyebrow, as though she fully knew the reason.

"The picture of the guy playing Danny Zuko was pretty hot. Wanted to see if he looked as good in person. And if he's in a musical, he probably at least swings both ways," Sebastian responded, not missing a beat as he looked Santana dead in the eye.

It was a good answer, and if it were someone besides Santana it just might have worked, but the girl was smarter than that. "Then why are you running out before you have a chance to meet him?"

Sebastian opened his mouth, but for once, found himself tongue-tied. She had caught him, and that horrific smirk on her face showed she knew it too. He clenched his jaw, barely moving his lips as he replied, "Touché."

"Relax. Just admit that I was better on Smooth Criminal and maybe I won't inform all of the New Directions that your right hand is still sore from all those delusional fantasies you've had wishing Blaine could be yours," her voice practically sang the words, delighted by her triumph. Sebastian wasn't sure whether he hated her, but damn it, he had to respect her. There were not too many people who got the better of him in a verbal exchange.

"Now who has delusional fantasies?" he replied. There was a moment of silence between them, before he finally caved. He did not want to give any of them the pleasure of knowing he still wanted Blaine, "You were better," he said through gritted teeth.

"I sure was I had a tape recorder under my boob again so the whole damn world could hear you admit it," Santana beamed, before her face turned slightly softer, almost kind, "But at least he's single this time Sebastian. If you are that interested, then go talk to him. The worst he can do is reject you. And make no mistake, he probably will, but at least you'll have tried.

"I know better than to try and stand in the way of the infamous 'Klaine.' I'm sure they'll get back together."

"Fuck Klaine. The last I checked, this was still high school. People change their relationship status more than they change their sheets. Grow a pair, Sebastian. Just go congratulate him on a passable performance. He probably needs some encouragement after his run-in with Kurt. The asshole showed up unannounced and totally threw Blaine off his game right before the show. He came to me looking for comfort of all people. I would have kicked him in the balls if he didn't look so pathetic."

Sebastian let her words sink in for a moment before he nodded his head. She was right, after all. He was Sebastian Smythe. He should be able to talk to a handsome boy after everything he had done. "Thanks," he told Santana. The Warbler turned to leave, but paused for a moment, turning back around to look at Santana. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I'm a very gracious winner."

"It's confusing."

"Yeah. I wouldn't get used too used to it if I were you."

"I wouldn't have a delusional fantasy of it," he quipped before turning to walk down the hall, searching for Blaine. He spotted him, chasing after Kurt, and his heart sank. He was too slow. This was the moment the couple would get back together and he would be forced to watch. He almost walked way, feeling as though his stomach would spew forth vomit if he had to suffer through such an ordeal, when he saw Kurt leaving, and Blaine wasn't chasing after him. Instead, the gelled one was simply watching sadly as Kurt exited. Santana was right. He looked pathetic.

Allowing a few moments to pass by, Sebastian slowly began walking toward Blaine, ensuring that his footsteps were loud so the boy was not startled by his presence. Tapping Blaine's shoulder, he began, "Hey kille-" before Sebastian could even finish the word, Blaine flung to him, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's torso like a toddler hugs his mother.

Sebastian was not good with emotional matters, or being sensitive to others, but even he could tell when someone was so totally gutted that they just needed someone to hold on to. He knew at the moment that he was not special, that Blaine would have reacted in such a manner to literally anyone who had come up to him, but for once he did not care. If this was what Blaine needed, then Sebastian would provide it. He patted Blaine's back, trying to be soothing, though he felt terribly awkward. "It'll be okay," he managed to say, as Blaine's buried his head in Sebastian's shoulder.

A sinking feeling swelled inside his stomach as he had a horrible realization. When it came to Blaine Anderson, he would always be sentimental.


	2. Sensitive

**Most updates won't be this quick coming at you, so don't get used to such a fast turn-around. Thanks for those who have read and reviewed so far! Please comment! The story outcome is definitely not yet decided :)**

A fully-stocked liquor cabinet and a broken-hearted boy was a combination that had led to the undoing of a number of otherwise decent teenagers. Sebastian was being responsible tonight, anticipating the long drive home yet to come, but the same could not be said for Blaine. For the most part, they had avoided hard liquor, instead opting for a slightly less dangerous red wine. Sebastian had uncorked the bottle, but it was Blaine who had started to pour, allowing the truth behind his break-up to flow freely. Sebastian listened attentively, nodding along at all the right moments. The shorter boy clearly just needed someone to listen, even if was hard to hear Blaine speaking about Kurt with such reverence.

It was surprising even to Sebastian that his intentions were so noble. As Blaine teetered into a drunken state, he knew just how easy it would be to take advantage of the situation, of Blaine. It would take only a few words to talk Blaine out of his trousers, he knew. If Sebastian wanted to have sex with Blaine, and he had for a long time, this was the opportune moment. If, however, he jumped on the opportunity, so to speak, he recognized the consequences, both for himself, and for Blaine. Meaningless sex had just destroyed a precious relationship for Blaine, and a dalliance with Sebastian would be short-lived if it transpired now. It sickened himself to think it, but he wanted more than a one-night stand with Blaine.

The boys sat on the living room sofa, their bodies pulled together by Sebastian's arm around Blaine's shoulders chastely. As the booze set in, Blaine's dark eyes looked up at Sebastian, his cheek resting awkwardly on the taller boy's shoulder. "Sebastian?" he asked, his voice a little quieter than it had been previously, tender even, like a small child.

"Yes, Blaine?"

"Why haven't you tried anything tonight? This is the longest I've ever been with you that you haven't propositioned me with sex on the table, or told me how I was," Blaine inquired, the scent of wine escaping his mouth as he spoke. Blaine paused for a moment, but continued before the boy had a chance to reply. "Is it…is it because I used to be good and now I'm not?"

Sebastian cocked his head and turned to get a better look at Blaine. He was such a different boy than the one he had met at Dalton a year ago. He had been so self-assured then, and even if he did not quite understand how to reply to Sebastian's advances, he had a coy calmness to him. This boy before Sebastian now, he was broken. Sebastian took a deep breath. This was not his strength; this being sensitive garbage was easy for someone like Hummel, or even Blaine, but not Sebastian. He had to really work not to come off as an unfeeling sex-robot. "Would it help if I told you I snuck a feel of your ass when you were crying earlier?"

It probably was not exactly the solace Blaine sought, but it was the best Sebastian could offer at the moment. Blaine looked down, though his lips curled up in a soft grin as he let out a quiet chuckle. "It helps a little." It was quiet for a moment, though neither of them seemed to mind. If this was what it meant to care for someone, sitting alone on a Friday night mindlessly watching the Late Show, then maybe it was something the Warbler could learn to appreciate. He liked the feeling of Blaine next to him, leaning on him for support both physically and emotionally. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but you're a pretty good friend Sebastian. You drove all the way out to Lima to see me in Grease and now this. After we didn't talk since Regionals of last year."

"I told you I had turned over a new leaf, Blaine. People can say what they want about me, and God knows it'd be mostly true, but I am a man of my-" Sebastian stopped short when he felt Blaine's hand on his thigh, rubbing up and down lightly, "Blaine," Sebastian warned.

"You don't have to be such a gentleman. I know what you want, and I'm giving it to you. And you can be guilt-free about it, because I'm the one initiating. It's a win-win for you," Blaine assured him, his eyes wide and so damn earnest. He was right. Sebastian wanted him, as much, if not more, than he ever had. "You've been so good. You deserve it," Blaine continued, before leaning in to place his lips on Sebastian's, but instead of reciprocating, Sebastian pushed him away, not forcefully, but enough so that Blaine understood. Blaine opened his eyes, looking up at Sebastian with bewildered, hurt, eyes.

"Blaine, you're drunk. You're drunk and obviously not over Kurt. We can't do this."

"I knew it," Blaine cried out indignantly, adding distance between them as he rolled off the side of the couch, his legs unsteady as the alcohol nearly caused him to lose his balance as he reached his feet. "You can joke about copping a feel, Sebastian, but I know you don't want me anymore. How could you? You were attracted to me because I was such a dapper boy scout, like a gay Wally Cleaver. And now I'm just another two dollar slut with too much hair product and too little self-control. God, I'm more eager for sex than _you, _Sebastian."

Sebastian grasped Blaine's hand as the boy attempted to storm out, "Blaine, wait. That's not true. At least none of it except the part about too much hair product," He quipped, though he quickly wished he could return those words. The shorter boy shook his head in annoyance at Sebastian's cavalier attitude and attempted to pull his hand away, but Sebastian held his grip firm around Blaine's wrist. "You want to know why I won't have sex with you tonight?" Sebastian asked, bracing himself to divulge far more than he was comfortable revealing. "Because I refuse to be another Eli for you, Blaine. I'm not going to be another mistake that you wake up regretting in the morning. I want our first time to mean something. But if that's what you want, a quick meaningless romp, fine. I've got a long list of guys who would love to rock your world tonight, but it's not going to me, because I deserve more than that, and contrary to what you might think at the moment, so do you."

Sebastian did not do this. He did not get emotional about sex. He was the reigning King of random hook-ups. Blaine was right; Sebastian did not want him like this, just not for the reasons he had thought. For a long moment, the two of them just stared at each other, Blaine wide-eyed, and Sebastian's eyes narrowed in intensity. It infuriated him that Blaine was being so self-loathing, and Blaine had never seen Sebastian actually show emotion before. He had bought into the other boy's act that he was devoid of feeling.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Blaine finally blurted out, grabbing for the nearest trash can as he spewed forth red wine tinted vomit.


	3. Sensible

Sebastian Smythe slept anything but soundly that night. He had played the role of the good friend, rubbing Blaine's back reassuringly as the boy puked up all the wine he had consumed that night. He had tucked the boy into bed, making sure there was a glass of water and an empty trash bin, just in case, at his bed side. Perhaps most surprisingly, he did not follow the boy under the covers. Instead, Sebastian slept on the floor, stealing only one pillow off of Blaine's bed for his unglamorous slumber. Truth be told, he probably did not need to stay the night, but something told him that Blaine did want to wake up alone at the moment.

He tossed and turned uncomfortably, feebly trying to find some comfort in the carpeted floors of Blaine's bedroom. It was not exactly how he had previously envisioned spending the night at Blaine's, but he supposed he could not be too picky. He was fortunate enough that the boy was even slightly trusting him after the nearly infamous slushie incident. Had their roles been reversed, Sebastian would have made it his life's mission to ensure Blaine ended up a eunuch.

Blaine, for his part, seemed to sleep rather easily, peacefully adrift in whatever dreams a boy like him had. Was he dreaming of the moment that might have been with Sebastian, had the Warbler allowed it, or was he dreaming of some ill-conceived plot to regain Kurt Hummel's trust? Sebastian could not know, though he could hope it was not the latter. He could not bear the sight of Blaine reuniting with Kurt, not now, not when the boy had been so tantalizingly close. He would hate himself if that night had been his only shot with Blaine, but something inside of him told him that it was not. As dusk began to break, and a small amount of light seeping through the barely opened curtains of Blaine's room, he looked up at the sleeping boy and smiled to himself. He was almost happy like this. If he were actually in bed with Blaine, he could not imagine the ecstasy he would experience.

At some point he did fall asleep, though not for long terribly long. The sound of a toilet flushing roused his senses enough to force him awake. He sat up in time to see Blaine standing in the Bathroom doorway, his normally meticulously groomed hair disheveled disastrously, and his eyes blood-shot and sagging. He looked like death, frankly. "How do you feel, killer?" Sebastian asked, suppressing a grin. Blaine only grunted in response, making his way back to the bed on wobbly legs. "About as good as you look then?" The truth was, Sebastian was exhausted himself, but something about seeing someone else be the one with the sickly hangover chirped him right up.

Sebastian propped himself up by the side of Blaine's bed as the other boy sunk into the mattress, an irritatingly perky grin on his face. Blaine rolled over to look at him and scowled. Yes, the dreamy boy had awoken, and he was not a morning person. "Why are you still here?" Blaine asked, before quickly clarifying as he realized how that sounded, "I don't mind, I'm just surprised. I sort of took you for the type to leave under the cover of darkness."

Sebastian rolled his eyes slightly, "In case you've forgotten, we didn't exactly do anything that required me to leave in the dark. Besides, I wouldn't trade seeing a hungover Blaine Anderson for the world," he responded.

"Does any point of this involve you making a hungover Blaine Anderson pancakes? Because if so, we should fast forward to that."

"Well unless you want me to burn down the kitchen, that's not the world's best idea," Sebastian explained. That was the one con of having a family chef. There was little opportunity to gain experience in normal household tasks, "But I make a mean bowl of cereal," he offered with a shrug.

"That'd do," Blaine agreed, though he was somewhat surprised when he actually saw Sebastian get up to do just that. For the most part, he had expected to wake up and find the boy nowhere in sight, but instead Sebastian was being, almost compassionate. It was so unlike the Warbler that it gave Blaine a bit of pause, wondering what nefarious intentions lurked just beneath the surface. Maybe, just maybe, Sebastian had actually turned over a new leaf. He watched Sebastian exit the room, subconsciously soaking in the other boy's form.

As Sebastian descended the spiral staircase of the main floor of the Anderson household, he heard a knocking of the door. He looked up the staircase to see if Blaine emerged. He did not, though that was hardly surprising. Even if he weren't hungover, Blaine was unlikely to answer the door in his current state of appearance. So, still playing the part of the dutiful friend, Sebastian took it upon himself to open the door, though the figure waiting on the porch was one he did not anticipate.

Kurt Hummel himself stood there, his body wrapped tightly in a tan pea coat, a shocked and mortified look adorning his delicate features. He allowed his face to show his horror for only a brief moment before he clammed up, rolling his eyes at the sight, "Sebastian. I…I would have thought I could recognize a foul scent like yours."

"And what scent is that, Kurt? The smell of sweat and leather?" Sebastian shot back, utterly incapable of preventing the smirk from forming across his face. He knew well how this looked, and truthfully he did not entirely mind. He could not have dreamed a more humiliating situation for Kurt.

"I knew it was you. As soon as Blaine told me, I knew it was you. He tried to say it wasn't, but I knew," Kurt said, shaking his head in a mix of disgust and anger, like he had just witnessed someone punting a puppy.

Sebastian knew this moment; he recognized it, however vaguely. It was the moment he needed to be honest with Kurt, and admit that he and Blaine had not slept together, that he had spent the night as a friend only. As farfetched as it was, he should tell Kurt that Blaine had not gone and done the very worst thing he could have done, regardless of how close he had come to that. Sebastian knew that was the right thing to do, and yet, he could not do that. This was his opportunity to squash whatever lingering chance remained of a reunion. "Oh, come on Kurt, don't act so shocked. You had to know you could not possibly keep a boy like Blaine satisfied, didn't you?" he taunted as he stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind him. He did not want Blaine to hear any of this. He would not outright lie, but he could certainly lead Kurt to a specific conclusion. "He's a very peaceful sleeper, isn't he?"

The truth was, Sebastian did not have to say anything. He did not have to confirm what Kurt already believed he knew. The smirk was all the evidence he required. "You disgust me. Do you know that?" Kurt said, shaking his head feverishly. It was as though his world was caving in again, just as it had when Blaine first admitted to cheating. "What will be left for Blaine when you're through with him? And how long will that take? One or two more times, and then you leave him for the next slut in tight jeans? God, you know what? Maybe you two deserve each other. I must never have known him if he could actually hop into bed with someone like you."

"And what exactly did you come here for, Kurt? To forgive him and get back together?" Sebastian replied, arching an eyebrow.

"No I-"

"You just wanted to keep him on your toxic hook. You just wanted him to think there was still a chance for the two of you so he held back from living his life, so he stayed as miserable as you. Well guess what? That isn't going to happen. One of you will be miserable and alone, but it won't be Blaine." Sebastian almost convinced himself that he was simply defending Blaine, that there was no ulterior motive for tearing Kurt away, that the being nice thing had really stuck with him, but that was a lie. This was classic Sebastian, eviscerating the competition until he got exactly what he desired. "You let him go, Kurt. So let him go.

"Don't pretend to care about him, Sebastian. I know you better than that. I know that…that someone like _you_ isn't capable of actually feeling anything for him," Kurt responded. While a part of him did hate Blaine at the moment for hurting him in a way he never knew he was capable of hurting, he hated the thought of someone like Sebastian using him. Blaine was not emotionally equipped to handle Sebastian's lack of morality.

"And don't pretend like you have any say in the matter, Kurt. Go home, back to New York where you belong. Isn't that what you told him? Isn't that your fabulous home now? Go back to living with your fag hag in some delusional Will and Grace fantasy. Just don't expect any sympathy from me, or Blaine, when you move back in with your Dad and return to your glamorous job at the Lima Bean."

Shaking his head furiously, Kurt decided he had had about enough. As he turned to leave, he fired one final warning to Sebastian, "Blaine will never love you. Not like he loves me. I hope you at least know that," he said, before turning to leave, pulling his coat close to his body as he exited into the chilly Fall morning. Sebastian watched him leave, his lips curling in a feverish anger.

Once Kurt was out of sight, Sebastian regained control of himself, returning to the warm house. Kurt could fire all the insults that he wanted; Sebastian was the one with free access to Blaine's room. Returning up the stairs, he entered to find Blaine pathetically sprawled out on the bed.

"Who was at the door?" Blaine inquired, his voice raspy and a little quieter than normal.

"Just some boy scout selling something," Sebastian shrugged taking a seat next to Blaine.

"Oh. Did you get some?"

Sebastian paused for a moment as he considered Blaine's unfortunately open-ended question. "No," he said slowly, "But I told him I already got some," he finished, smiling at his own private joke.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes, Blaine?"

"Where is my cereal?"


	4. Sentry

It was Sunday afternoon, which meant final matinee performance of the McKinley production of Grease. It also meant that it was Burt Hummel's last opportunity to follow through on his step-son's promise to attend and watch as he tried his hand at directing. Burt had adapted a soft spot for musical, though truly he had little choice given his own son's penchant for the song and dance. He had grown to appreciate the corny jokes and random musical outbursts, though they would never be his entertainment of choice. Aside from his promise to Finn, he knew that Carole wanted to go as well, and she would not want to fly solo. The fact of the matter was, Burt had no choice but to go, and while he would not mind it normally, he had an issue with one of the cast members.

It was a surprise to him not to see Blaine Anderson billed as Danny Zuko. Finn had gone over the cast with him at one point, excited about his new venture, but Burt had not really been listening. He was not interested in hearing how successful Blaine was after betraying Kurt. To make matters worse, Kurt had come back in tears after visiting his ex-boyfriend. Burt had not been able to get all of the details, but he distinctly heard the name of a certain Warbler who had made Kurt's life, and Blaine's too for that matter, a living hell for a period of time in the prior year. It was unbelievable to him that the piece of shit could have snuck his way into Blaine's life, or pants from the sound of things, and that the boy had allowed him.

It infuriated Burt, because he had really liked Blaine. He had quickly grown to think of the boy as another son. He knew that Blaine lacked a solid relationship with his own father, and Burt was happy to step in any way that he could. The happiness on Kurt's face whenever they were together was not something Burt had seen since his mother died. He could be there for his son in so many ways, but there were some voids he would never be able to fill, not like Blaine could. The polite demeanor and dapper attitude had slipped right under his radar and Burt had let him in, and while he was not as hurt as Kurt was by Blaine's infidelity, it still stung.

When the boy did finally emerge, clad in his white outfit, representing the Teen Angel, it took every ounce of strength he had not to rush the stage and shake the boy, to tell him what a foolish, awful thing he had done. Instead, he reached for Carole's hand, and squeezed tightly. She smiled softly in return, withstanding the bone-crunching squeeze as she recognized what the alternative was. Both of their sons' were suffering a heartbreak they had long feared, but hoped would never become reality. Teenage love, as innocent and genuine as it could seem, was so often fleeting. Unlike her though, Burt could not be there for his son. Finn was back living with them while he got back on his feet, but Kurt was coping with a brand new city, with only one friend of note to help him through. It made Burt feel so powerless.

Blaine's scene was, of course, flawless, with all the girl's in the audience positively swooning over the boy they would never have. The whole production was, in itself, an extraordinary effort for a high school, and it made him appreciate the fight to keep arts in schools all the more. This was an outlet for the kids on stage, just as it had been for Kurt. That was important. As the final number concluded and the cast took their bows, Finn took to the stage inviting the audience to join the case for a reception in the school lobby following the show. Burt turned to Carole for support once again, but she simply nodded her head understandingly. Yes, they had to go.

Taking a deep breath, Burt followed the swarming cloud as it marched to the reception, determined to devour the homemade cookies and lemonade that the parents had prepared. The cast gave Finn and Artie flowers, thanking them for their ardent dedication and leadership; however one cast member was missing. Burt had to admit he was relieved at first, but it also disappointed him. It was hard for him to go from caring about Blaine like a son to totally forgetting about him. As furious as he was, he also wanted to congratulate him on his performance. Letting go of Carole's hand, Burt slipped away to the boy's dressing room.

He knocked on the door quietly before pushing it open, and to no surprise, he saw Blaine slumped on the piano stool, his head buried in his hands, half-changed out of his costume as he wore a pair of jeans and a white undershirt. When the boy did not seem to react to his presence, Burt cleared his throat before speaking, "Hey," he said simply, not really knowing what he was supposed to say in this situation. It was brand new to him. Blaine looked up at him, his eyes full of uncertainty. For a moment, he was scared of Burt, knowing how protective he was of Kurt, and how justifiably furious he must have been at Blaine.

"Hi Mr. Hummel," he managed to stammer out as he rose from his seat, though he avoided making eye-contact. He could not possibly face up to whatever judgment Burt was casting. Blaine had never expected it to be the case, but he missed Burt took. Perhaps not as much as he missed his actual boyfriend, but he missed how much the man made him feel like he belonged, like he was one of the family. Losing that was a consequence had he never quite foreseen. "It was nice of you to come to the show."

"Well I wouldn't be much of a step-dad if I didn't come," he offered. Admittedly, he did not want to see Blaine, but he was glad that he had. Beneath the resentment for the hurt he had caused Kurt, Burt was almost proud of Blaine, for being able to put aside his heartache and embrace the roll while he was on stage. Clearly he was nowhere near as flippant as the Angel, or he would not have been stewing in the dressing room while the rest of the cast congratulated themselves of being teenage celebrities with cookies and lemonade. It occurred to Burt that Blaine's parents were nowhere to be found. Surely they would have attended their son's senior year musical, and yet, he was the one who had sought him out, had found him hiding away in the dressing room. "You did a real nice job, kid."

That was enough for Blaine to stop focusing on his shoes to look up and return Burt's gaze. The man's eyes were not filled with judgment and anger as he had expected, at least that was not all that was there. "Thank you, Mr. Hummel. That really means a lot to me. And that you came back here to tell me that too."

"I'm not going to lie to you Blaine; I'm still pretty ticked off about what you did. I never thought you would be that type of guy, and it completely blind-sided me," Burt told him bluntly, causing Blaine to break the eye-contact he had worked so hard to establish. It felt worse than any time he disappointed his own father, because he knew that Burt had really believed in him in a way that his Dad never had. "But you were still the first person to make Kurt happy, truly happy, since his mother died, and I'll always be thankful for that."

"I swear I nev-"

"Blaine I don't really care about your excuses. Look, you and Kurt will work it out, or you won't. To be honest, I'm not really sure which of those I'm rooting for but I did learn something tonight," Burt continued on. While the words stung, Blaine did appreciate his honesty. The few in New Directions who knew what happened, or at least suspected, had not been so forthcoming. "I learned that in a lot of ways I've come to think of you as one of my sons, and that doesn't change now. I love Kurt with all my life, and until you two figure out a way to co-exist, I will be on his side, but once you do, and I know you will at least get to that, then we'll be okay again too. I hate what you did, but I don't hate you, Blaine. I hope you know that."

In all truthfulness, Burt had not realized he even felt that way until he had come back to the dressing room and see Blaine sitting by himself, looking alone and beaten. Blaine had his own dad, but he had never had a father, and that killed Burt to see. His own son had lost a parent, but she was taken by cancer. Blaine's father had taken himself out of his son's life, and he was not sure which was worse. Burt patted Blaine on the back, and was expecting to leave it at that, but suddenly found himself pulling the short boy in for a hug. It was not an all-encompassing bear hug like he gave to Kurt, but it was enough to let Blaine know that he really meant what he said. When they pulled apart, Blaine's eyes were red, clearly holding back tears, and just barely. "Thank you, Burt. I…I think I needed that more than I realized."

Burt smiled and nodded his head slightly before he turned and headed for the exit. Standing immediately outside the door he found Carole, with a concerned look on her face. "Do I need to find a place to bury the body?"

Burt laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "No. Not at all," he replied as they walked back to the reception.

Blaine returned to the piano bench where he had previously been sitting, to find he had received a text message, from Sebastian of course. Biting his lip, he debated whether he should even open it. Sebastian had been wonderful to him the night before, but the last year had not completed faded from Blaine's memory. He was still the boy who had unashamedly attempting to seduce Blaine into cheating on his boyfriend, before blinding him with an ill-conceived prank. He knew Kurt would not like him talking to Sebastian, but then, Kurt was not even speaking to him. Blaine wanted Kurt back desperately, but his boyfriend, his ex-boyfriend, had made clear that he wanted nothing to do with him. Let out a deep exhale, he clicked to open the message.

_Heard u killed it tonight. Maybe you should drink ur weight in liquor b4 shows more often. Works 4 Lindsay Lohan._

Blaine let out a quiet laugh to himself. Sebastian might have questionable morals, but he was being a heck of a better friend to Blaine at the moment than just about anyone else. Good guy or not, he was all the well-gelled one had right now.

_And amy winehouse. and elvis. And kurt cobain...think I will make that a 1 time thing. You wanna grab a coffee?_

Blaine was not quite sure why he asked, and in a way, he almost felt like he was c heating again as soon as he sent the text. He tried to remind himself that he and Kurt were broken up, but it still did not feel quite right to him. Before he could retract the invitation, however, Sebastian had responded.

_Not really, but 4 u killer, any time._


	5. Sentient

"I'm just saying, I think you'd be happier if you came back to Dalton," Sebastian pressed the topic gently as he sipped on his coffee, eying Blaine's reaction to the advice. Hunter Clarington had enlisted him with the task of recruiting the former Warbler's lead back to Dalton, but that was not truly why he was going along with it. The truth was he would be rather selfishly happy if Blaine finished out his senior year at Dalton. It was a good cover, however, with his fellow Warblers to have the excuse that he was really just taking one for the team when he skipped out on some boring logistical meeting to have coffee with Blaine. "I mean really, what do you have to stay for at McKinley?"

"I have friends there, Sebastian," Blaine replied, though not too convincingly, as if he were trying to convince himself as much as the taller boy. Truthfully, his relationships at school had been rocked since his break up. His entire identity there had always been as Kurt's dapper boyfriend. With that important element removed, he was not even sure what he was anymore at the school. "Plus I'm the Class President. I take that very seriously."

"You have better friends at Dalton, and isn' t that the point of a Vice-President? To take over if the President can no longer fulfill his duties?" Sebastian further pursued the issue. It was an area he had only touched lightly on in their previous meetings, but time was beginning to run out. Sectionals were only two weeks away, and after that, he was not so sure he would have the Warbler's full support any longer.

"Better friends who helped you almost blind me with a slushie?" Blaine retorted, though he instantly regretted spitting out the words as he saw the blind-sided look on Sebastian's face. Perhaps he had made a mistake in transferring to McKinley for Kurt so quickly, but he could not simply uproot his current life and return to Dalton. It had been a painful transition for him, even with Kurt at his side, and one he was not eager to make again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"I've apologized a million times for that incident, Blaine," Sebastian responded quietly, his eyes fixated on the coffee drink before him. It had been a stupid prank that went horribly wrong, and he had accepted the consequences for it, but he did not want to relive it. "I can't take it back. I would if I could. But I also can't have you throwing it back in my face every time I say something you don't like." As he said the last sentence, Sebastian looked up to stare Blaine in the eyes. For his part, Blaine was a little taken aback. Every other time they had even skirted around the incident, Sebastian had apologized until he could no longer speak.

"You're right. It's not fair of me to bring that up. I won't like it when Kurt and I get back together if he throws Eli in my face every time we have a disagreement."

Sebastian's entire body tightened. For the most part, they had avoided saying the other boy's name due to Blaine's related heartbreak and Sebastian's distaste for the helium-voiced troll. He knew Blaine was not exactly over him, but did not realize he still had every intention of them getting back together. It stung badly. Sebastian was doing everything right. He had practically been a boy scout with Blaine, listening to him talk about his feelings and loneliness, even making the responsible decision of turning down a drunken and desperate Blaine for fear of the future ramifications. But still, Blaine was set on Kurt, a boy who had moved to New York and left Blaine in the dust. "Yeah. That would suck," he managed to say, his tone of voice as aloof and uncaring as possible. "Has he responded to any of your calls or texts?"

"Not yet," Blaine conceded, "But he will." Sebastian resisted the urge to slap Blaine across the face and tell him to snap out of it. If he did something like that, then all of his frustrations would be directed at Sebastian, rather than at the parties to whom it rightfully belonged. "Look, Sebastian, I'm sorry that I snapped at you. It really wasn't fair, and frankly, you've sort of been the only one who has actually been there for me through all this. I won't ever bring that up again. I know you regret it."

Sebastian clenched his jaw tightly, irritated by the whole situation. All of this effort, and Blaine was telling him what a great _friend_ he had been, evidently oblivious to the fact Sebastian still wanted more than to just be friends. "Fair enough," he managed to say, a little gruffly, in just enough time to pre vent the silence from being awkward. "Tell you what; the Warblers are throwing a party tomorrow night. If you can go to that, and then honestly look me in the eyes and say you don't want to transfer back to Dalton, I won't bring it up again."

Sebastian could see Blaine hesitate, biting the inside of his lip. The boy was searching for an excuse not to go, to avoid the temptation of his brothers at the Warblers, but not coming up with anything. "I don't know, Sebastian."

"What else are you going to be doing? Watching _Love Actually _for the third week in a row?"

"You told me you liked it, too!"

"I said for a Rom Com it was passable, and that Colin Firth's accent was sexy. I certainly did not claim I liked it," he protested. Admittedly, he found the flick to be reasonably tolerable, but the last thing that he wanted was to admit that. "Regardless, you need to get out and actually do something, Blaine. You only get senior year once. You shouldn't spend it locked up in your room. Unless, obviously, you've got someone locked in there with you," he added the last comment with the cheeky grin that accompanied all of his cheeky comments that forced an adorable blush to appear on Blaine's face.

"Fine, fine. I'll go. But only if I get to bring a guest."

"Anyone you want, Killer," Sebastian said, although he knew that he did not mean those words. There was a very specific boy who was not welcome, though he could hardly relay that particular message.

"Perfect. Actually though, I'd better get going. We have a Sectionals practice," Blaine said, smiling as he rose to his feet. "Do you want to just text me the details?"

"Sure thing. See you later, Blaine."

Sebastian's gaze followed Blaine as the boy exited the coffee shop, incapable of preventing the boy from sneaking a quick appreciative glance at Blaine's derriere. Shaking his head to himself, he whipped out his phone. Not to text Blaine, however, but to text his fellow Warblers.

He had to let them know they were going to be having a party.


End file.
